How to Start a Hunting Outfitter Business in Wyoming: Board of Outfitters License ($600), Insurance Minimums and the Big Game Only Rule

October 29, 2026

If you plan to guide hunters in Wyoming, the first question is whether your work falls under the Board of Outfitters and Professional Guides at all. The Board licenses outfitters and professional guides who provide services for big or trophy game animals. It does not license fishing guides, river runners, dude ranches or trail rides. Get that boundary right first, because it determines which wyoming hunting guide license you need, which insurance rules apply and which steps below are required for your business.

This walkthrough covers the setup in order, from forming your entity with the Wyoming Secretary of State to the year-end filings that keep your license current. You will see the $600 figure in many searches. The Board’s outfitters page lists the outfitter renewal application and the $600 license fee as due by December 1, 2026. That is the figure for the current renewal cycle, not a confirmed new-applicant fee, so confirm the new-applicant fee with the Board before you budget.

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Statutes, fees and deadlines change, so verify every number with the agency named before you file or pay.

The Big or Trophy Game Rule

Under W.S. 23-2-407(a), no person may present themselves as an outfitter, or provide guide or packing services for taking any big or trophy game animal, without an outfitter or professional guide license. The rule has three practical effects:

• No court remedy for unpaid fees. An unlicensed outfitter or guide cannot sue to collect compensation for those services (23-2-407(b)).
• Advertising must show a license number. Any advertisement must list the Wyoming outfitter license number of the outfitter you contract with (23-2-407(c) and 23-2-406(a)(iv)). The exception covers a landowner guiding on their own agricultural land.
• Other services still need other checks. Activities outside the big or trophy game category are not licensed by this Board. The entity, sales tax and workers’ compensation steps below may still apply to them.

When a Guide License Is or Is Not Required

Several exceptions shape how hunts are staffed in Wyoming:

• Nonresidents hunting big or trophy game in designated wilderness must use a licensed professional guide or a resident guide, with at least one guide for every two hunters (23-2-401(a)). The Game and Fish Commission may allow up to six hunters per guide in specific areas.
• A resident holding a big or trophy game license may obtain a free resident guide license by affidavit, if the guiding is uncompensated (23-2-401(b)).
• A resident landowner may guide on land they own or hold under a deeded lease without a guide license (23-2-401(c)).

Materials and Records You Need

Gather these before you file anything. A missing item usually delays the next step.

• Government-issued photo ID and proof that you are at least 18
• A written record of at least one year as a licensed professional guide, or other experience the Board accepts. Keep dated hunt logs, client contracts and employer letters.
• An equipment and facilities list showing that your gear, camps and vehicles suit the services you will offer
• Background information for the application: wildlife convictions in the past five years, and any felony or fraud convictions
• Wyoming LLC Articles of Organization ($100 filing fee) and a name that passes the WyoBiz availability check
• A Wyoming registered agent with a physical street address
• A certificate of insurance that meets the minimums in the table below
• A federal EIN from the IRS and a business bank account
• A sales and use tax license application ($60, non-refundable) if you will make taxable sales
• A calendar with the recurring dates in this guide

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Form your entity with the Secretary of State. Start at sos.wyo.gov and file Articles of Organization through WyoBiz. Search the name on the WyoBiz filing search first. The name must include “Limited Liability Company” or an allowed abbreviation such as LLC or L.L.C. Online filings are active as soon as the filing is completed. Names beginning with the letter A must be filed on paper, and paper filings take up to 15 business days. If you need to hold a name while you finish the Board application, a paper LLC name reservation costs $60 for 120 days, and no online reservation is offered. Expedited processing ($1,400 for same business day service, received by 12:00 noon MT, or $700 for next business day service, received by 5:00 p.m. MT) is not available for filings that can be completed online, including initial formations. Do not budget for it on a standard LLC formation.
2. Appoint a registered agent. Every Wyoming entity must continuously maintain a registered agent. The agent can be a Wyoming resident or a business authorized in Wyoming, and must have a physical Wyoming street address, including any suite number. Drop boxes do not qualify. A PO box is accepted only in addition to a physical address. Commercial registered agents pay a $50 annual registration. Changing to a new agent and office later costs $5.
3. Buy insurance before you apply. The statute sets the floor shown in the table below. Ask your agent to confirm that the policy covers guides, clients and out-of-state hunters, and keep a copy of the certificate with your license records.

Coverage (W.S. 23-2-413(d))	Statutory minimum
Property damage	$25,000
Bodily injury or death, one person	$100,000
Bodily injury or death, per occurrence	$300,000

The statute does not require a bond. Treat these numbers as minimums, not as a measure of your exposure. Hunting, fishing and backcountry trips are listed as inherent risks under the Recreation Safety Act (W.S. 1-1-121 through 1-1-123), but that does not replace insurance or a liability waiver drafted by an attorney.

4. Confirm your qualifications. An outfitter must be at least 18, have at least one year as a licensed professional guide or experience the Board accepts, have equipment and facilities suited to the services, and have no violations under 23-2-416(a) (23-2-411). A professional guide must be at least 18 and employed by or under contract with a licensed outfitter. The guide license is valid only while the guide is so engaged (23-2-412). A licensed outfitter may act as a guide without a separate guide license. A 14-consecutive-day guide license is available once in each 12-month period.
5. Pass the Board examination and file the application. Every applicant must pass a Board examination (23-2-413(b)). The passing score is a question for the Board, so check with them directly. The Board’s outfitters page at outfitters.wyo.gov lists the renewal application and $600 license fee due by December 1, 2026. Confirm the new-outfitter application fee, guide license fee and temporary guide fee with the Board office, because those figures are not settled in this guide.
6. Contract your guides. Each professional guide must work for you under employment or contract, and the guide license lapses when that engagement ends. Keep signed contracts and a roster listing each guide’s license number.
7. Register for sales tax if you make taxable sales. Wyoming levies no corporate income tax, no personal income tax and no franchise tax. The state sales tax rate is 4%, with county option taxes and any resort district taxes on top. County rates change quarterly, so check the Department of Revenue rate chart and date every rate you quote. Wyoming has no city sales tax. Meals and prepared food, lodging, admissions and repair of personal property are taxable, and intrastate freight is exempt. Lodging you sell with a hunt, such as tents, base camps and temporary shelters, is exempt only from the local lodging tax (39-15-105(a)(viii)(G)). Because lodging is on the taxable list, confirm with the Department of Revenue how state sales tax applies to those charges. Register through the sales and use tax registration page. Wyoming issues no resale certificate of its own. When a buyer purchases items to resell, the buyer signs a certificate and gives it to you.
8. Check city and federal permits. Wyoming has no general statewide business license. The Secretary of State directs applicants to the city clerk in the city where they will operate, so ask there about any license your activity requires. Counties issue no business licenses. They handle land use, building, septic and liquor matters. If you run hunts on Forest Service, BLM or National Park Service land, check commercial use permit requirements with the managing agency.
9. Review workers’ compensation. Wyoming’s workers’ compensation is a monopolistic state fund run by the Department of Workforce Services. Arts, entertainment and recreation (NAICS 71) is compulsory with a limited exception (W.S. 27-14-108). Ask the department whether your operation falls in that category. Sole proprietors, partners, officers and LLC members are excluded unless they elect coverage. Whether your guides are employees or contractors also matters, so confirm that with DWS and a CPA.
10. Calendar the recurring filings. The LLC annual report carries a $60 minimum license tax and is due on the first day of your formation anniversary month. You may file it up to 120 days early. If it is not paid within 60 days of the due date, the entity is subject to administrative dissolution. Board licenses expire December 31 (23-2-414(b)), and the Board’s page states that year-end reports are due January 31.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Treating “guide” as one license for everything. The Board license covers big or trophy game only. It does not cover fishing guides, river runners, dude ranches or trail rides.
• Advertising without the outfitter license number. The number is required on advertisements for contracted outfitters.
• Assuming a PO box satisfies the registered agent rule. A physical Wyoming street address is required, and a PO box can only supplement it.
• Filing a name beginning with A online. Those filings must go on paper.
• Budgeting for expedited online formation. Expedited processing is not offered for initial formations that can be completed online.
• Buying only the minimum insurance. The statutory figures are a floor, and your actual exposure may be higher.
• Letting guide engagements lapse. A professional guide license is valid only while the guide is employed by or under contract with a licensed outfitter.
• Missing the annual report. Administrative dissolution can follow if the $60 is not paid within 60 days of the due date.
• Skipping the January 31 Board year-end report.
• Quoting $600 as your total startup cost. The $600 figure is the Board license fee listed for the renewal cycle. Filing fees, insurance, exam preparation, registered agent costs and equipment are separate.

Practical Tips Before You Start

• Ask the Board about the exam format and passing score early, and schedule preparation time before your season.
• Start logging guiding days now. Experience is the hardest qualification to reconstruct after the fact.
• Ask the Board whether a particular species falls within the big or trophy game category before you write your advertising.
• Use the free counseling offered through the Wyoming SBDC Network to review your business plan and budget.
• Keep one standard advertising template that includes your contracted outfitter’s license number.

What to Expect as Results

Completing these steps does not guarantee bookings or income. Your entity, insurance and Board license may be in place within a few months, depending on Board processing, exam scheduling and filing method, and that timing can affect when you are able to contract hunts. Revenue often depends on season length, client demand, pricing and whether you hold private land or public land permits. Many new operators spend their first season building client relationships, so plan operating cash to cover that period. The steps in this guide can help reduce compliance risk, but they do not indicate how much your business may earn.

When to Consult a Professional

Work with a Wyoming attorney on liability waivers, guide contracts and entity structure. Work with a CPA on sales tax, workers’ compensation classification and how your guides are paid. An insurance broker can help you go beyond the statutory minimums. This article is informational only. It is not legal or tax advice, and the agencies named above control the final figures and filing requirements.